A new survey by the Pew Research Center, “Religion in Latin America,” reveals that Latin Americans born into Roman Catholic families have increasingly left the faith for Protestant churches.

Latin America remains home to an estimated 40 percent of the planet’s Catholic population. But the survey finds that 19 percent of Latin Americans now describe themselves as Protestant.

Why are Latin Americans leaving the Catholic Church for Protestantism?

The survey asked respondents to rate eight possible explanations. Protestants who converted from Catholicism most frequently say they “wanted a more personal experience with God.” Other commonly cited reasons include the style of worship at their new church and a desire for greater emphasis on morality.

What about the “Francis effect?”

The research also showed that Pope Francis is highly popular and influential in Latin America, with two-thirds or more of the population expressing a positive opinion.

“The Catholic Church’s status in Latin America has drawn more attention since Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected pope in March 2013, taking the name Francis.” The Pew reported, “while it is too soon to know whether Francis can stop or reverse the church’s losses in the region, the new survey finds that people who are currently Catholic overwhelmingly view Francis favorably and consider his papacy a major change for the church.”

However, the authors of the Pew report said former Catholics are more pessimistic of the pope than those still in the Church, he is highly regarded by a majority of ex-Catholics only in Argentina and Uruguay. Significant percentages of former Catholics also say it’s too soon to tell whether Francis represents real change, or to identify a tangible “Francis effect.”

What about Hispanics Catholics in the U.S.?

The ratio of decline in Latin American Catholics is similar to those who live in the U.S., the “New York Times” noted, where large numbers of those raised Catholic, Hispanic and non-Hispanic, have abandoned the church.

According to PEW research, “Nearly a quarter of Hispanic adults in the United States were raised Catholic but have since left the faith, while just 2 percent of U.S. Hispanics have converted to Catholicism after being raised in another religious tradition or with no affiliation.”

The survey was conducted from October 2013 to February 2014 in every Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking country in Latin America, except for Cuba.

MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 26: Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias perform at American Airlines Arena on October 26, 2014 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)

International superstars Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull brought the party of “Sex and Love” to their beloved hometown Miami, with up-and-coming Colombian star J Balvin, who opened the show with his mega hit “6AM” along with surprise guest Farruko.

Pitbull was up first, using his hourlong set to showcase a South Miami Beach style party, with songs such as “Dont’ Stop the Party,” “Fireball,” “International Love” and, best of all, “Rain Over Me.” The Cuban rapper also paid tribute to his collaborators that he has worked with over the years, including those with JLO, Marc Anthony, Shakira, Christina Aguilera, Neyo, Kesha and many more.

“I used to perform on the corner of NW 7th Avenue and 79th Street,” he recalled. “It’s an honor to be able to perform at the AAA.”

Pitbull had everyone jumping during the show but when Enrique Iglesias hit the stage the party was just getting started and the crowd went wild with “I’m a Freak.”
Iglesias sang some of his greatest hits: “Finally Found You,” “Bailamos,” “El Perdedor,” “Loco,”and the summer anthem “Bailando” with Gente de Zona.
And what’s a party without alcohol and some confessions?

Iglesias invited a fan on stage for some shots as he opened up about the separation of his parents when he was younger, and the time he moved from Spain to the U.S. He topped the confession off by singing a beautiful cover of “Stand By Me,” a song that he says made him nostalgic about those hard times.

Both singers made reference of how much they loved Miami because it was where their careers started and they both interacted with the audience to show their appreciation for the “305.”
The Spanish heartthrob and the Cuban rapper kept the audience on their feet all night and at the end of the concert the energetic duo said goodbye with their 2010 smash “I Like It” claiming “We fucking love you, Miami!”

Latin Urban artist Wesly Tones talked to VOXXI about his new single “Los Gatos,” which he promises will keep you dancing all night long. (Facebook: Wesly Tones )

Wesly Tones is part of the new wave of artists who are redefining Latin urban music. The musician is ready to share with the world his catchy and upbeat music released on his new album “La Profecia.”

The Puerto Rican artist shared with VOXXI that he would love to collaborate with artists who have different styles such as Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, Pitbull. He also emphasized he’s not afraid of experimenting with new rhythms.

“I ‘d like to collaborate with these artists because they have multifaceted techniques, and I relate to that.” tones said.

Born in La Isla del Encanto, Tones has been surrounded by music his entire life. He wrote his first song when he was 12, and his family was always involved with the music industry because his dad was a member of the recognized orchestra “Costa Brava” on the island.

The key to his musical success is incorporating diverse rhythms hat he grew up listening to but always keeping a focus on a dance beat: “I’m Puerto Rican so I’m influence by salsa, merengue and reggaeton.”

“Los gatos,” is the second single from his album “La Profecía,” that will be released soon. The video was filmed in Miami with superstar artist and music producer Maffio. With someone like Maffio behind it, Wesly Tones promises that his fans won’t be able to sit still in one place with his new creation.

Tones confesses he’s not afraid to push the limits of transformation in the future.

“I’m ready to create a little bit of everything. I’ll love to produce new music, to test myself and make new songs.”

His previous single “De Cabeza” reached number 10 on the “Billboard Tropical Airplay” chart, and the song remained in that category for seven consecutive weeks.

Mohombi talks about his new single “Movin.” (Credit:Nevarez Communications)

The Swedish-Congolese singer Mohombi chatted with VOXXI about his new single “Movin” and how he plans to keep you dancing for years to come.

Mohombi first broke out into the international music scene in 2010 with his mega-hit, “Bumpy Ride,” which was produced by award-winning producer, RedOne. The single dominated the charts throughout the U.S. and Europe surpassing over 212 million views on VEVO. There’s no stopping him now.

Q&A with Mohombi

Tell us how you started on your musical career and who influenced your music.

I grew up with Latin Music and I’m still growing with the culture. All the way from Celia Cruz to Pitbull, I have made lots of collaborations with multiple Latin Superstars that will be out soon.

Tell us about “Movin” featuring BirdMan and Caskey.

I believe that Movin is a great way to introduce my upcoming album “Universe.”

Let’s say that “Movin” is a planet full of energy and diversity. I represent AfroPop, Caskey kills it with his Cash Money Rap & the party is hosted by the Soca King Himself Mr KMC. The fact that Birdman himself introduces us in the song speaks for itself.

We saw the video and we were impressed by your dancing skills.

My parents used to have a nightclub when I was a child. Do I need to say more ?

How are you planning to conquer the U.S. audience?

My music is about building bridges and the music Industry is becoming more open to foreign music, realizing that we have more similarities than differences.

I’m just gonna keep doing what I do best: Be myself, and everything is gonna be alright… I’m not coming to the U.S. alone. I’m walking in with a story and millions of followers.

Mohombi promises there will be plenty more for his fans to follow, and plenty of motivation for you to get up and dance.

The 15th Annual Latin Grammy awards nominations were revealed to the world on Wednesday in a very unique way, and it looks like Calle 13 is taking away the most recognitions.

This year the recording academy announced the nominations on a video that was put up on the Latin Grammy site with announcements made by a wide array of artists and fans.

Gabriel Abaroa Jr., president of the Latin Recording Academy, said the nominations reflected the “dynamic and vibrant worldwide Latin community of artists, producers, engineers and songwriters.”

The urban music duo Calle 13 is the top competitor for the Latin Grammys. Eduardo Cabra also known as “visitante” of the group is nominated for 10 awards, including producer of the year, while the Puerto Rican band is up for nine. The nominations were mostly tied to its 2014 release “MultiViral.”

Andres Castro scored eight nods followed by Tom Coyne who received seven, Julio Reyes Copello and Carlos Vives each received six nominations, and Descemer Bueno and Enrique Iglesias were next with five nominations each for their wildly successful “Bailando”and their popular song “loco.”

Album of the year competitors include Marc Anthony, Calle 13, Ruben Blades, Camila, Paco de Lucia, Jorge Drexler, Carlos Vives, Fonseca, Jarabe De Palo, the trio of Lila Downs, Nina Pastori and Soledad.

The Latin Grammy Awards will be broadcast live on November. 20 from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on U.S. Spanish-language network Univision.

Here are the nominations in other categories for the 15th Annual Latin Grammys.